


Midsummer's Song

by HSavinien



Series: Around the Table [4]
Category: Arthurian Mythology
Genre: Friendship/Love, M/M, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-25
Updated: 2009-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-26 18:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HSavinien/pseuds/HSavinien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A song of lost times and love and desire.  Mordred's armies are at hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midsummer's Song

Hand to hand and mouth to mouth, harsh breath between teeth and past tongues, the Midsummer madness heating their blood, mail coats abandoned across saddles, tribute to the oak king.  _Come away and go to the wood, and we’ll disport us there_.  Swords still at hand, for war breeds caution in the living who wish to remain so and Mordred’s army patrols this wood. _Call tribute to the Green Man’s fire, and love away all care._   War has dragged the corners of his mouth down and lined his forehead, greyed his lover’s hair at the temples and his chin.  _Come, pretty youth, and glory, life, with Puck to lead your song._   Voices stilled to panting, rasp of a half-choked oath, muttered, loving imprecation, the rustling of movement across a shed gambeson, laces knotted and fingers clumsy.  _Rejoice and love by the midsummer fires all the sweet night long._   They have only a moment to companion themselves again against the ill, chill wind of their king’s would-be usurper, to touch and ease the aches inside them, unknot his brow and revive Bedwyr’s laugh.

 

_Come away and go to the wood, and we’ll disport us there._

_Call tribute to the Green Man’s fire, and love away all care._

_Come, pretty youth, and glory, life, with Puck to lead your song._

_Rejoice and love by the midsummer fires all the sweet night long._

 

Cai growls into Bedwyr’s mouth, hungering for him as he hungers for his cousin’s golden age that’s crumbling now to ash.  Bedwyr, at least, remains.  They can brace each other.

**Author's Note:**

> A gambeson is the padded coat one wears under armor.


End file.
